People on the move: Freshfield; BFET; Willows Veterinary Group; BES Utilities; Napthens; Slater & Gordon

MARKETING communications consultancy Freshfield has made digital marketing specialist Alice Davies the latest addition to its team.

Davies, whose specialisms include content marketing, SEO, and digital strategy, joins the Preston-based agency as a senior digital marketing and content executive.
 
Her previous experience includes roles with creative agency Heckford, web design agency Fat Media, and digital agency Clicky Media.

Simon Turner, managing director of Freshfield, said: “Alice has some great experience and a deep digital knowledge which will be invaluable to our clients.
 
“She brings new skills, thinking and energy to the business. This is all part of us continuing to strengthen our digital marketing offering. It means we can offer clients better insights into their target audiences and how they can improve their marketing activity to connect with those audiences.”

Davies added: “Freshfield invests heavily in its CPD programme and that’s something that really appealed to me, as well as the opportunity to be part of a wider team in a full service marketing environment. The agency has a determination to make a real difference to its clients.”

Freshfield now has a 20-strong team of marketing experts, covering public relations, marketing consultancy, content marketing, social media, design and digital.

::

BRIGHT Futures Educational Trust has announced the appointment of its new chief executive officer, Dr John Stephens.

He joins the organisation from his role as a senior civil servant in the Department for Education, leading on teaching schools and system leaders in the National College for Teaching and Leadership.

Stephens will be based at the BFET headquarters in Altrincham, Greater Manchester.

He grew up in Salford and is passionate about the region, particularly about making sure that all young people get the best possible access to high quality learning.

Stephens is a volunteer with St John Ambulance, serving on the regional safeguarding team. He is also chair of trustees at East Manchester Community Boat Project, a charity which provides free day trips on Manchester’s canal network for those who are disabled or face socio-economic disadvantage.

He was awarded a CBE in 2016 in recognition of his services to education and charity.
Stephens said: “I am delighted to join BFET as it moves into a new era.

The Trust has built a good network of schools that are already working together to share learning and bring about improvements.  This collaboration is something we will be looking to build on further.”

::

A WARRINGTON vet who hails from South Africa and once helped sedate a lion has been appointed as a new divisional partner for an independent veterinary group.

Pieter de Villiers, one of the lead vets at Beech House Veterinary Surgery, was born and raised in Potchefstroom, a town in South Africa’s North-West province.

In his latest career move, he has been named as a small animal divisional partner for Willows Veterinary Group – an independent organisation run by vets – which operates 24 small animal practices, a referral veterinary hospital, two equine centres and a five-office farm practice across Cheshire and into Greater Manchester, the Wirral and Staffordshire.

::

FLEETWOOD-based BES Utilities has appointed a new operations director to its board.
Zoe Denison has joined the company and will work alongside chairman Andy Pilley and the existing board of directors.  

BES, which supplies commercial energy and telecoms, has seen a series of senior appointments over recent months as part of a planned expansion programme.
Denison is a regulatory lawyer by background who specialises in dealing with consumer affairs and has had numerous dealings with regulators and ombudsmen.  

She was previously the operations director of a private equity backed business responsible for teams covering customer service, compliance and administration.  She also has experience in supporting the establishment of new ventures and embedding acquisitions.

BES managing director, Nick Dilworth, said:  “Zoe’s skills and experience are an ideal fit as we continue our plans to grow the company in a compliant way, at the same time as providing an outstanding level of service to our customers.”

Denison said: “I’m really looking forward to working at BES Utilities and aim to complement the existing senior management team to ensure customer experience, staff engagement and compliance remain at the forefront of our operational strategy.”

::

RESPECTED family lawyer Helen Lucking has been named as the new head of the family and divorce team at North West law firm Napthens.

Lucking, a partner in the team and based at Napthens’ Blackpool office, advises clients on all areas of family, matrimonial law and children matters.

She is also one of just a handful of specially-trained collaborative family lawyers in the area.

She has now take over from former head of department Simon Gledhill, who recently announced his retirement.
 
Lucking is an accredited member of Resolution – the association for family lawyers – and a member of the Law Society Children Panel.

She joined Napthens in 2007 following a merger with law firm Cuddy Woods and Cochrane, where she became a partner in 2005.

She said: “We have a great team here and I’m looking forward to leading the department as we continue to develop our offering and provide clients with the highest levels of service.”
::
LAW firm Slater and Gordon is expanding its industrial disease team following a rise in demand for services in Manchester.

The new appointments will build on the firm’s expertise in helping people who have suffered asbestos-related diseases and other conditions caused by industrial work such as occupational asthma.

Gill Owen, formerly of Simpsons Solicitors, has more than 15 years’ experience of representing clients with asbestos-related illness, including mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis and pleural thickening.

Emma Newman joins the team from Leigh Day, specialising in industrial disease and asbestos claims, and Colette Jennings moves from Mark Reynolds Solicitors.

The new recruits will support Madelene Holdsworth and Clare Graham, who have been jointly promoted to lead the industrial disease team.

Madelene, who qualified in 2005, has a background in industrial disease and also specialises in cases involving carbon monoxide poisoning.

Clare has more than 16 years’ experience representing clients, predominantly trade union members.

Martin James, national head of serious injury at Slater and Gordon, said: “In recent months we have seen an increase in the number of people coming to us for help after being diagnosed with industrial diseases such as mesothelioma. Tragically, for those with this terminal cancer, the life expectancy is typically just months and so it is imperative that they receive the right support and advice from a specialist in that area.

“We pride ourselves on offering the best possible service to clients who suddenly find themselves in these devastating circumstances and are delighted that we can now strengthen that service with these new additions to our team.”